


SOUL-Bound

by Reflet271



Category: Deltarune (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-08-27 08:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16698757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reflet271/pseuds/Reflet271
Summary: The kingdom of light and dark. Two lands with different ideals. When the call of war approaches, the kingdom of light sends their best knight to negotiate a terms of agreement. What he doesn't expect is to get roped into a forgotten legend along with three other beings of importance.





	1. Beginnings

Monsters and Humans. Two different races living in harmony. However, long ago this was not the case. The two species used to frequently war with each other, bringing pain and destruction wherever they warred. The humans killed with weapons of steel and their cunning, while monsters decimated scores of humans with magic and body weapons like claws. Soon, the warring attracted a powerful being. So powerful, that the being decided that the two species were too petty to be allowed to live. And so, thus began the dark ages of our time. Horrifying creatures from the shadows attacked both human and monster alike. They were forced into a corner, each realizing that they must work together in order to save themselves from a total extinction. They began by researching a mysterious essence that both human and monster carried within themselves. SOULs. The SOUL could be used as a means of staving off the approaching dark, yet one SOUL alone was not powerful enough. Delving further back told of an ancient pact that could be formed between the two races. By forming a deep bond with each other, the two could borrow the others’ power, but only if the bond was strengthened through hardship and toil. Seeing as they had no other choice, the two races picked up their arms and fought side by side against the being they had begun to call the DEMON. Bonds were formed, spirits and will shattered, then reformed again. After a grueling fight between the DEMON and four particularly adept warriors, the DEMON was sealed away in a temple forgotten by time itself, never to be seen again. Since that day forward, the two races saw each other as equals, living amongst themselves in harmony. In time, the bonds that were formed were forgotten, being made into a long running myth that parents would tell to young children. Peace reigned for centuries. But this is not the end of the story, oh no. The real fight, was just about to begin…

* * *

The sound of a book being shut echoed in a well lit room. A hand reached over to put the book back on a worn shelf, when a knock on the door startled the hands’ owner. “Come in.” The old wooden door creaks as it opens, and another figure steps inside the room. “Markus, the king wishes to speak to you.” Markus blinks, getting up and leaving the room with the other person in tow. “What does the king wish to talk with me about?” His companion shrugged, following Markus to a set of golden double doors. Two guards nodded at him, pulling the doors open. Markus walked in, taking a bow at the monster on the throne. “Markus, what a pleasant surprise! No need to bow.” Markus stood up, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “Did you need me for something milord?” The king laughs, patting Markus’ shoulder lightly. “Am I not allowed to spend time with my best knight?” Markus shook his head. “Please milord, I’m hardly qualified as the best in the kingdom.” The king chuckled. “Don’t sell yourself short, Markus. I recall correctly, you were the one who single-handedly took down everyone in the arena, all in my name!” Markus nodded absently, looking out a window. “I suppose…” The king tapped him to get his attention again, and when Markus turned, he knew the next thing the king said would be serious. “Markus, there are reports of war on the horizon.” Markus’ eyes widened. “War? Last I heard we were negotiating with the Darkners!” The king shook his head. “There’s been a power surge in the kingdom recently. Reports from spies tell me that there is now only one ruling king over there.” Markus looked back out the window. “So what do we do now then?” The king waved over a guard, who produced a scroll rolled up and bound tightly. “Markus, as king of the Lightners, I wish for you to send a final terms of agreement over. If they respond negatively, you must immediately inform us so we can declare war.” Markus bowed. “It shall be as so, milord.” The king nodded, handing the scroll over, along with a simple traveler's bag. “You have one week to prepare, why not take some time to visit your hometown?” The crunching of grass underneath Markus was the only thing that kept him company as he returned to the place he called home. The familiar bustle of the town market greeted him shortly. He closed his eyes, feeling a sense of happiness at being home. Taking his time around the town, he visited many old locations of his youth, talking with people both familiar and foreign to him. His travel through town took him back to a simple cottage home on the outskirts of the village, built in a way that would overlook the area. He walked up to the door and knocked. Hurried footsteps could be heard from inside, and the door creaked open to reveal a goat monster. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the human. “Markus! What are you doing back in Hometown?” Markus chuckled, pulling the goat in for a hug. She reciprocated the hug, pulling back after a bit. “The king gave me a week to prepare for a trip to the darkners kingdom. Thought it’d be nice to visit home for a bit until then. How are things on your end Toriel?” Toriel giggled, beckoning Markus inside her home. The smell of pie was evident all around, and Markus felt his stomach grumble. Toriel laughed. “Hungry, aren’t you?” Markus blushed, nodding. “Well, don’t just stand there, take a seat! I have a pie just about done cooling off. I hope you still like cinnamon!” Markus took a seat in the living room, glancing around lazily. Toriel’s home was furnished with the bare minimum of a house, with rugs and chairs placed haphazardly around the room. The table in front of him was a simple wooden one, with faint scratches and dents from age. He continued to glance around the room, finding nothing particular interesting, before noticing something was missing. “Toriel? Where’s your kid?”

* * *

This was a stupid idea. All this, just to prove you belong? Kris grunted as he tripped over a branch in his way. They berated themselves for foolishly going along with the dare. To put it in simplest terms, they were forced to go and slay a dragon living in the nearby cave to prove themselves worthy of being a knight. They scoffed, worthy? Since when did anyone give a damn about them? Besides their mother of course. Ever since they were a child, they were constantly on the receiving end of scorned looks and thrown rocks. They still bore the scar from one... And now, all they had to do to prove themselves was to do the unthinkable. Kill a monster. They wondered if their mother would ever look at them the same way afterwards, that is, if they even lived through it. Turning the corner, they finally saw the cave they were looking for. They took a look at themselves. They were given a simple copper sword and wooden shield to defend themselves with. A child would stand a better chance with a stick and a bandage on their face. Steeling themselves, they took the first step into the cave. 

The sun was setting, sending a light orange glow across the land. Markus was currently watching his hlst pace around worridley. “Tori, you’re gonna make a hole in the ground if you keep this up.” She stopped at his words, sighing and lowering herself onto a chair. “I know, it’s just. Kris has always been a bit of a troublemaker, but ever since Asriel went to the darkner’s kingdom they’ve always been too afraid to be out after dark.” Markus nodded, looking out the window. The sun could be barely seen at this point, just peeking out over the horizon. He stood up, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll go find them and get them home safely, I promise.” She said nothing, nodding with a few tears in her eyes. Markus turned to leave, opening the door and closing it behind him. “Let’s see, where would I go first if I was Kris?” Markus found himself in the warriors’ guild, a hub for mercenaries and others alike. It was quieter than usual, most of the shops having packed up and going home to their families. He overhears a bunch of laughter in the room over, and he follows it to a sort of mini bar. He leans against a wall, listening in to the conversation. “And then the punk asks us if we can let ‘em join us!” Laughter rings out. “And then what boss?” Markus peeked inside. Most of the ones were humans, with a few monsters scattered about. They all face one particular nasty looking human, with a grizzled visage and breath so mixed with alcohol he could smell it from where he was. Markus slipped into the room, taking a seat off to the side and turning away from them. One of the mercs spoke up. “So how long do ya think they’ll last?” The leader laughs. “With our luck, hopefully they die! Then at least this town will be rid of ONE menace!” Markus headed over to the group, clearing his throat. 

“Excuse me, gentlemen, would this kid happen to go by Kris?” All of them turn to look at him with a wary gaze. “Yeah, what’s it to ya?” Markus gave a chilling smile. “I’m happen to be looking for them. Would you like to tell me where they are?” One of the monsters spoke up. “We sent ‘em off to go kill a dragon, as if. Only gave him the weakest equipment we had!” Markus glared. “And why exactly would you do that?” They all laughed. “Because, we got sick of the FREAK living in this backwater town!” Markus clicked his tongue, turning to leave. “Not so fast, bucko. Where do you think you’re going?” The sound of weapons being drawn stopped Markus in his tracks. “I was going to go rescue the kid from their death.” They laughed again, inching closer to the knight. “And why would we let ya do that?” Markus smirked, drawing his sword, the black blade gleaming in the torchlight. “Because, I’m way outta your league.” Roughly ten minutes later, all the mercenaries are left groaning on the ground. Markus sheathed his sword, patting himself down. He only got nicked once in the shoulder, but nothing too serious. He took a look around the room. The bartender didn’t even bat an eye at the brawl. Markus walked over and produced a bag jingling with coins. He set it on the counter. “Sorry about that Grills.” The flame monster shrugged, pocketing the money for later repairs. Markus ran out of the bar, intent on rescuing Kris before they got hurt from a bunch of idiots’ ideas. He was stopped when a voice called out to him. “Excuse me!” He turned to see a green and black monster run up to him. He blinked as he recognized the familiar outfit. “Weren’t you part of that gang?” The monster shook their head. “Not really, more like I was forced to join them… I heard what you were going to do.” Markus stared at the goat monster. “Yeah, I promised the kids’ mother I would find them and bring them home. Got a problem with that?” The monster waved his hands placatingly. “No not at all! I was actually wondering if you would let me tag along!” Markus gave them a slow blink. “Not that I would not appreciate it, but why?” The monster tilted their head. “Call it intuition. There’s something special about you. So, what do you day?” Markus sighed, he really hoped he wouldn’t regret this... “Fine, but I would like to get a move on, Kris could already be near the cave.” The monster nodded. “My name is Ralsei, it’s nice to meet you!” Markus shook their hand. “Markus, now let’s get moving.”

* * *

Kris grunted as they avoided another swing of a sharp axe. They had been exploring what little of the cave they could when an axe blindsided them. They swung their blade at the opponent, who swiftly dodged and countered with the axe. Kris screamed as they felt the axe tear through their armor. They felt blood dripping down onto the cave floor, sapping their remaining strength. They put their right hand on the wound, slowing the blood flow as best they could. Kris glared defiantly at the figure walking towards them. “What’s wrong? Can’t handle one measly monster?” The monster laughed, chilling Kris’ SOUL. They stood up, backing away until their back hit a wall. The monster grinned at them, raising their axe for the final blow that would seal their fate. “How do you feel about dying?” Kris closed their eyes, silently accepting their fate. Their last thoughts were of their mother before they felt the air curve around the blade of the axe. They opened them when they didn’t feel their face being sliced open. They gasped at the sword in front of them. “Hey Kris, sorry I was late.” The figure pushed the axe back, shoving the monster away from them. The monster growled at being interrupted. “Who the hell are you!?” 

The other human smiled at the monster’s ire. “Me? Just a guy who couldn’t help but notice the fight was a little unfair.” Markus let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Any later and Kris would’ve been minced meat. They felt a soothing sensation wave over them, and instantly they felt the wound inflicted earlier close. They looked to their right, and were greeted by a smiling goat. “Hi, my name’s Ralsei! Are you feeling any better?” Kris nodded, too preoccupied with the ongoing fight between their saviour and target. They traded blows frequently, neither letting the other get the upper hand. Clash upon clash of steel echoed in the cavern, sparks flying with each hack or slash. The dragon monster moved back, letting their arms grip the axe tightly and swinging it from bottom to top. “Rude Buster!” A purple triangle flew out from their axe, and Markus took it in full force, flying back into a wall. Dust scattered from their impact. The monster laughed. “Ha! Didn’t expect that, did ya?” When the dust cleared, the blur of the human could be seen rushing towards the axe wielding dragon. Markus dug their sword inches from the monster, runes appearing underneath them. “Tremor!” The ground beneath the dragon spiked, and soon enough they became trapped within the shattered earth. They huffed, relaxing their posture. “Fine, you got me.” Markus sheathed their sword. “Good, now, Kris.” Kris perked up at the tone he used. “What exactly were you trying to prove to those thugs?” They hung their head, too ashamed to speak. Markus sighed, walking over and putting a hand on their shoulder. “You mother was worried about you, Kris.” They nodded, turning to leave, but not before the mauve dragon trapped spoke up. “So what am I gonna do now?” Markus smirked. “If I remember correctly, you monsters still adhere to the contract pacts, do you not?” They growled, stepping over the spikes. “Yeah, so what?” Markus turned to Kris. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Kris blinked. Ralsei explained to them in a tone one would use when teaching someone. “Kris, monsters abide by a certain law in the world. Whoever bests them in combat gets to decide their fate more or less. Markus is asking if you wish to form a bond with, uh.” The mauve dragon snorted. “Susie.” Ralsei nodded. “Right, Susie!” Kris tilted their head, thinking deeply on the subject. Would this change much for them? Maybe they’ll finally be accepted by those around them. Or maybe they’ll be seen as even more of an outcast. Kris nods, coming up with their answer. “Yes.” Susie nods, holding out her right hand. “Alright, punk. Repeat after me. Whether together or apart, I swear to all who challenges us, that our pact will remain stalwart.” Kris repeats the phrase, and a bright light engulfs the two. Closing their eyes, they squint when it dissipates. In front of them is a floating set of armor, with a striped pink and blue cape. The armor looks sturdy, much more protective than the simple leather they were wearing beforehand. A sword with a simple steel hilt rests in a sheath attached to the hip. Kris takes the armor, and it disappears, reappearing on their person. It fits perfectly. They turn to look at the other three, who nod in approval. Kris felt like something inside their SOUL was stirring, and a voice called out in their head. 

*Your bond with Susie, the violent axe dragon, has deepened. The power of mean girls shines within you.  
Markus turns to leave, heading for the exit of the cave. The other three follow suit, greeted with the sight of darkness. Markus turns to Ralsei. “Can you light a fire?” Ralsei nods happily, conjuring up a simple flame from his hand. Markus picks up a stick, holding it close to the flame. He holds it out in front of him, illuminating the path back to town. He looks at the three. “Well, what are we waiting for? It’s time to go home.” The four set off at a steady pace, silence accompanied only with the sound of leaves crunching underneath them. The outer walls of the town could be seen shortly after, and the four stop at the gates. Two guards eye them warily. “Halt! State your business with this town!” Markus nods, pulling out a simple badge with a signia on it. The guards’ eyes widen, before they both bow. “Sir Markus! We apologize for not recognizing you, please, come in.” One of the guards waves at a tower, and the massive doors open up with a groan. They all head inside, walking back to Kris’ home. Kris opens the door to their house, greeted with a glomp courtesy of their mother. “Oh thank heavens your safe! Do you have any idea how worried I was?” Kris said nothing, hugging the goat back and rubbing their head into her robe. Toriel glances at Markus, eyebrows rising at the other monsters in the room. “And who might these two be?” The two introduce themselves. “Well, I thank you all for getting my child back home safely. It was silently agreed between the four of them to not speak about what had actually happened. Toriel let them sit in the living room, as she went to prepare dinner. Markus rubbed his head, which Ralsei took notice of. “Markus, is something wrong?” 

Markus looked at Ralsei with a wry smile. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I’m not looking forward to the week after this one.” Susie spoke up next. “What’s gonna happen next week?” Markus looked at the three, and they could see that even with being physically healthy, his eyes held a sort of age to them. “In a week, I’m the sole factor between deciding if this kingdom will go to war or not.” They all recoiled in shock. “Whaddya mean war? We haven’t had one in years!” Markus nodded at the dragon’s comment. “Yes, but recently, there’s been a power surge over there, and now only one of the kings rule the land. This one is tyrannical, according to our spies within. It’s only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose over there.” They all fell silent at the knight’s words. War? In a time where peace was so prominent? Ralsei spoke up, worry in his voice. “So, what will you do to stop it?” Markus sighed, looking at the ground in irritation. “A final term of agreement, one that will hopefully stave off the call of war. If it fails, well... Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.” The sound of a cutting board being hit over and over were the only ones that was heard the rest of the night, and after dinner was served, the four went to sleep uneasily.

* * *

The next morning, Markus was awoken by the shaking of his body. He groaned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “What?” It was Ralsei, who held up a letter with the royal crest marked on it. Instantly, Markus was up, tearing the letter open as if he had done so millions of times before. What he read made his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach.

_Markus,_  
It pains me to inform you that the Darkners are mobilizing their military faster than we thought. By the the this letter arrives, your week of preparation will have to be cut short to a day at best. Your orders are the same; send the terms to them, and hope for the best.  
Godspeed, King Alveron. 

Markus trembled, fist crumpling the letter on impulse. Ralsei took a step back. “M-markus?” He turned to look at Ralsei. “I need some time to think, can you leave me be for a bit?” The goat nodded, turning and closing the door. Markus heaved with agony, dreams of relaxing wiped away, and all for a kingdom? He stood up, grabbing his belongings and flinging the door open. He stepped out into the living room, where the other guests and host were eating breakfast. “Oh, Markus! I didn’t expect you to be awake for another hour or so. Please, take a seat. I’ll go make a plate for you.” Markus shook his head, prompting Toriel to sit back down. “I’m afraid I won’t have time for food, Tori. News from the King, and troubling too. I have to make the trip into Darkner territory now. They’re forming the army as we speak.” He walks to the door, but the screeching of several legs of a chair stop him. “Wait, I’m coming with you!” He turns to look at the three who got up, shaking his head. “No, this is something I must do alone, as it was assigned to me and me alone.” Ralsei shakes his head. “Arbor harbor is a weeks’ trip from hometown, you won’t be able to make it on your own.” Kris and Susie nodded at his words, and Markus let out a sigh. “Look, I hardly know you three, and all of a sudden, you decide to go on a journey that may take months, maybe years, to accomplish? Sounds reckless if you ask me.” Susie scoffed. “You seem pretty set on going, so wouldn’t the same apply to you?” He grunted. “Yes, but this isn’t your-” He was cut off by Toriel. “Let them go, Markus.” He whirled around to see the goat holding a bag similar to his, along with some supplies. “Tori, you’re gonna send your kid out into the wilderness with three other people?!” She tsked, slapping his arm gently. “Yes, and you should accept that. You aren’t the parents of those two, and certainly not Kris. If they wish to accompany you, let them. Kris is getting to the point where they’re old enough to go out into the world, I can’t coddle them forever.” Markus groans, accepting defeat at Toriel’s, quite frankly sound argument. They bid farewell to Toriel, letting Kris get a hug from her, before they set off out of the gates. Markus looks to the three. A magic goat, an axe wielding dragon, and a human. He shakes his head, what a weird journey this will be. He trails in front of them, looking at the map he procured from the king. The first stop they had to make was the scarlet forest, known as such for the red leave trees that always grew there.

* * *

_Roster  
Markus: A knight of the kingdom of Lightners. Chosen by the king to negotiate with the neighboring kingdom of Darkners, his newfound allies will cause him no end of grief. The least likely to get a joke. Born on the first of Winter. _

_Kris: A child raised by a monster. Quiet and reserved, they are thrust into a foreign world with a bond formed with a reluctant dragon. The one with the worst bedhead. Born on the fifteenth of Autumn._

_Ralsei: A mage with a heart of gold and naivety cranked up to one hundred. He accompanies Markus and the others for a change of pace from his old life. The one with the fluffiest ears. Born on the third of Spring._

_Susie: A former enemy turned ally, the dragon is quick to anger and even quicker to aggravate. Formed an uneasy bond with the human Kris. The one with the darkest scowl. Born on the twelfth of Summer.  
-Ralsei _


	2. Ship Shape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins, and Kris finds themselves in a world much larger than the home they lived in.

It had barely been a few hours, and already Markus was beginning to regret letting the three accompany him. For starters, Susie and Ralsei argued every chance they got, sometimes going late into the night. Kris was at least silent, so he could put up with them more easily. The dragon and goat bickered for some time into the forest, enough so that made Markus want to tear his hair out and bang his head on a tree trunk. He let it slide on the account that they were almost out of the forest, so they could sleep on actual beds instead of the cold hard ground. It was nice of Toriel to pack some extra goodies for them on their trip. While Kris was sleeping,  
Markus took a quick peek at what they had in there. A few bottles of water, a lighter, some blankets and change of clothes, and a small journal that, when opening it, contained a few snippets of each member of the group, written by Ralsei. Markus made a mental note to reveal less about himself, settling in for the night. When he woke up, he saw a peculiar sight. A diamond like creature was rummaging through their supplies. After chasing them off, he double checked every pocket. The critter seemed interested in the letter being sent to the Darkners, so Markus pocketed it in his coat for safer keeping. The group now found themselves on the outskirts of a harbor overlooking the ocean sea. Ralsei stretched his arms out with a moan. “It feels good to be out of the woods, right? Guys?” The other three didn’t pay him any attention, as they were too preoccupied with a concerning sight nearby.

Guards, and they didn’t look too friendly. Markus recognized the emblem marked on each of the soldiers’ armor. “Darkner troops, probably here to scout out the mainland…” He put a hand to his chin in thought. “If they’re here already, we might have to find transportation elsewhere.” Susie grinned, bringing her axe to her front. “I say we kill ‘em while they’re distracted.” Ralsei began to argue, but was cut off by Markus. “No, if we cross blades here, it’d look bad on our end. We sneak past them, low profile is the name of the game here.” Susie groaned, begrudgingly following the knights’ instructions and putting her axe away. They began walking towards the town, wary of eyes watching them. The four made their way over to the gates of the harbor, stopping when the town guards demanded a check of inventory. After getting the all clear, they were let in without further complaint. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Markus handed out a sack of currency to everyone. “Okay, we’ll meet back at the fountain by sundown. There’s enough in there for any of us to grab supplies or purchase equipment. I’ll go find us somewhere to sleep for the night.” They all nodded, splitting off to search the town.

* * *

Ralsei ran around the harbor, looking around excitedly. There was so many new things to see and new people to meet! He never felt this happy back home! He stopped in a shop off in the corner of the market. As he entered, the jingling of a bell could be heard throughout the shop. The owner looked up, a cat monster with a button for an eye. He smiled mischievously. “What can I get ya?” Ralsei took a look around the shop. He spied a knitted scarf in the corner, and he pointed to it. “How much for that scarf?” The cat blinked, pulling out a list from underneath the counter. “50D$” Ralsei counted out the amount, putting the money on the counter and grabbing the scarf. He wrapped it around himself. It felt soft to the touch. The cat smiled at the goat’s blissed out look. “Would you like anything else?” Ralsei took another look around the shop. Finding nothing of interest, he decided to speak with the owner. The cat’s name was Seam, pronounced differently. He asked about the harbor next. “Arbor harbor? Yeah, it’s a quaint town next to the ocean. Lot’s of merchants and people pass by here everyday. Almost impossible to see the same person twice in a row. So what’s your story?” Ralsei spoke vaguely about his quest with the others, remembering how much Markus put emphasis on staying out of the light. He bid the shopkeep goodbye after a few more minutes of chatting, walking around the town in circles trying to find one of his companions.

* * *

Kris never thought of themselves as being a person of particular wealth. The most they ever earned was from doing simple chores around the house. And that money usually got stolen the next day. They spied a restaurant that was fairly packed, and went over to take a look. The place was an open window restaurant, with an area sectioned off for those wanting a seaside view while they ate. They walked up to where a waiter was standing near a podium with a large leather bound book, looking bored out of their mind. They tapped the stand to get the waiter’s attention, and after chatting with them, reserved a spot for the four to eat later. Kris checked the bag Markus gave them, wincing in embarrassment when they realized how much reserving seats cost. They made a mental note to check the price of things before making a decision. Seeing nothing else that interested them, they turned to head over to the fountain, seemingly bored.

* * *

Susie huffed as she went around the town looking for anything interesting to do. So far nothing really appealed to her, it was all just tourist traps that she had no doubts that Ralsei or Kris would fall for. Kris, something about the human ticked her off. Even after forming a bond with them, she still felt off put by the circumstances that lead her here. Kris couldn’t even defeat her on their own, and now she’s being toted around like some sort of rare item. No, that wasn’t it. She knew that she couldn’t stay cooped up in her cave much longer. It had been a boring life up until the three found her and practically forced her into this adventure. She snorted, stopping at a vendor and buying some foreign food she’s never even heard of before. She took a bite of it, and instantly went back for seconds. When she was done the vendor was begging her not to eat anymore, since he would be run out of business in one day. She narrowed her eyes at the person, before turning away and walking somewhere else. Her legs took her back to the fountain, where she spotted Kris and Ralsei talking with one another. She rolled her eyes at how Ralsei would blush at some comment Kris would make. She trotted over, ruffling Kris’ hair and sitting down. “Hey, find anything you need?” The two shook their heads, wondering the same for her. “Eh, everything here is too boring for me to do, too touristy. Where’s Markus?” The two shrugged, looking around for the knight. They spotted him walking over with a frown on his face. “What’s wrong, Markus?” The knight looked up at Ralsei’s voice, sighing with irritation. “Couldn’t find anywhere to sleep, we might have to just catch a ride now and sleep on the boat.” The three groaned, not looking forward to seasickness. Kris perked up when they remembered something important, getting up and walking away from the fountain. The others exchanged glances, following them to a restaurant. They were quickly seated, and menus were brought out shortly after. “So, how much did this cost us?” Kris chuckled nervously, shaking their bag. Markus could already tell the bag was mostly empty. He sighed. “Next time, let us pick the place Kris.” They agreed sheepishly, looking back at their menu. One of the waiters came to their table, seemingly flustered. “Pardon me, but I’m afraid that we will be closing up shortly.” Raised eyebrows followed at the comment. “Huh? But we just sat down!” The waiter cowered at the dragon’s retort. “T-terribly sorry, but I wasn’t the one to decide this!” Ralsei spoke up. “Then who was?” A gruff voice shouted across the room. “I did, ye got a problem wit that?” The four turned to see a gang of pirates entering the restaurant, shoving customers out. The leader of the gang wore a much fancier coat than the rest, with several medals adorned on each sleeve. It was a light blue, going down to his legs. A fancy pirate’s hat with a white feather was perched on his head. Susie growled, standing up sharply. “Yeah, we were just about to eat.” The others quickly stood up as well, facing the pirate bunch. They all laughed. “Well sorry, but ye’ll hav to take yer business elsewhere!” Markus narrowed his eyes. “And if we don’t?” The sounds of weapons being drawn told him all that was needed. “We’ll be waitin outside for ye then.” They left, and the four were left alone again. Susie slammed a fist on the table. “Dammit, I’m gonna cut them into bits for this!” Ralsei raised his hands in soothing manner. “N-now now, I think there’s a peaceful solution to all this, we just have to be smart about it.” Susie turned to glare at the goat monster. 

“Uh, hello? They’re pirates! Or did you miss their funny accent and outfits?” The two continued to bicker back and forth, stopping only when Markus walked up and gave them both a hard slap in the shoulder. “As much as I’d like to see blood spilled here, I don’t want it to be from our side. Susie is right, loathe as I am to admit it, we aren’t leaving without a fight. There IS a way we can get things we want though.” Ralsei raised an eyebrow. “And how would that be?” Markus gave a smirk. “Think about it, what do most pirates have that a normal townsfolk wouldn’t?” They thought on his words for a bit, before Kris’ eyes lit up with recognition. “...Ship?” Markus nodded. “Right, and they say that the pirate captain tends to be whoever manages to beat them.” Ralsei still looked unsure. “Is there really no way we can avoid FIGHTing?” Markus shook his head. “Ralsei, if you’re going to come with us the whole way, you’ll have to learn that war is everywhere, no matter the location. It’s just a part of life.” Ralsei nodded solemnly, following the three out of the restaurant and into the plaza, where the pirates were waiting. They all drew their weapons, knowing that if they failed here, their journey would end at the first obstacle. The plaza soon became a mess of steel against steel, both sides giving it their all to win. Kris silently observed their companions during the fight when they weren’t distracted by another pirate goon. Susie loved to take on multiple opponents, cutting them down with ease. She never let her axe stall for long, swinging it with the expertise of one who has lived alone for much of their life. Ralsei stuck behind them, slinging magical fireballs whenever he got the chance to. He occasionally hummed to himself, causing those nearby him to grow sluggish. A sleeping spell maybe? 

Markus, well, he wasn’t a knight of the kingdom for nothing. He preferred concentrating his strikes on one foe at a time, waiting for his opponent to swing first before striking back. And it worked. Scores of blood flew from his sword as he swung with deadly accuracy, going for the legs or arms in most cases. Kris had yet to see his swings stagger a pirate back or outright dislocate something/disarm them. Kris was pulled back to reality when the tip of a cutlass nearly took their head off. They pulled back, seeing the pirate captain finally join the fray. Kris had a hard time finding an opening in the captain’s defenses. It was almost as if he knew what they were going to strike or defend next, and used that knowledge to his advantage, blocking Kris’ blade and either pulling back or attempting a quick slash of their weapon. Kris found themselves backing up further and further, till they hit the side of the fountain and fell into it. The captain laughed. “Game over, me bucko.” The crack of the fountain next to Kris’ head and subsequent axe being stuck to it drew both their attention to Susie, who was grinning with an arm stretched out. “Come on, you don’t wanna kill the kid, what would your crewmates think if you went for the weakest target huh?” The captain growled, jumping away when Markus rushed over with a straight stab to the chest. While the captain was distracted with the knight, Susie went over to pick Kris out of the fountain. Kris stared with shock on their face, prompting the dragon to smirk. “What? You formed a bond with me remember? Can’t let the human die early, am I right?” Kris nodded numbly, feeling their SOUL pulsate more quickly. They felt something between the two deepen, an invisible link, they thought. 

*Your bond with Susie has deepened. Rude Buster has upgraded to Red Buster!  
Kris stood up shakily, grabbing their weapon from the fountain. Their shield was gone, broken from a particularly hard swing of the captain’s cutlass. They turned to look back at the captain, surprised by what they saw. Markus was laying on the ground, sword gripped tightly in both hands as he held it inches from his face to defend from the cutlass approaching his chest. Kris gripped their chest tightly, feeling an unfamiliar power well up inside them. They pointed forward, SOUL visibly appearing in front of them. Susie’s axe glowed, and she stared at it in wonder. 

“Kris, are you..?” They nodded, pointing to Markus again. Susie swung her axe, and once again, a purple triangle flew out of the axe. This time, it switched to a bright red, flames trailing out behind it. It slammed into the captain, sending him flying away from Markus, who dropped his sword in exhaustion. Ralsei ran over to help him sit up, healing him in the process. They looked around, seeing the aftermath of the fight. Groans echoed throughout the town, bodies writing on the ground in pain. Susie snorted. “What was that about low profile Markus?” The knight groaned. “Not now Susie... “ They walk over to the captain, who gets up sluggishly. “Arr, ye beat me.” ‘No shit’ Thought the four. “Well, I suppose a deal be a deal. Where do ye want to go cap’n?” Markus looked at the former captain. “Argos town.” The captain nodded. “Aye aye, cap’n” He turned to his crew. “OY! Look alive ye scallywags! Time to sail off!” Those who could get up did so, carrying the injured crewmates onto the ship. The pirate turned to the group with a sheepish look. “Apologies if we ain’t ocean worthy for a but cap.” They waved it off getting on board with the rest of the pirates. “Oh, names be Dikke, pleasure to sail wit ye.” A few hours later, and the ship lurched underneath all of them. “So, what do we do now Markus?” The knight turned to look at Ralsei. “Now? We get some practice in.”

* * *

The other three blinked. “Practice? Why would I need practice?” Markus shook his head. “Not you, Kris and Ralsei. Ralsei is a mage, an easy target for those who get past us, and Kris needs work on their swordplay.” The four cleared the deck for a wide open space, and Markus stood in front of Kris. “Okay, show me your stance.” Kris drew their sword, holding it like they naturally would. Markus walked around him, clicking his tongue as he went. “Not bad, but you tend to favor your right leg for support more often than not. Take a few practice swings at me.” Kris did so, finding it hard to predict the knight’s movements when dodging. “Hmmm, you’d perform well enough against bandits I suppose, but trained soldiers will make quick work of you. You favor downwards slashes a lot of the time. Here, try mixing it up. Horizontal slashes are best at clearing out multiple groups, or giving yourself some breathing room. Vertical ones are best for one on one confrontations.” Kris nodded, keeping those thoughts in mind when attacking Markus again. This time, he managed to land a solid blow to his ribs, staggering the knight. “Not bad. You learn fast.” Kris beamed at the knight’s praise. “Don’t get too cocky, now let’s see you defend against another person. Susie, if you would?” 

The dragon grinned, eager to work out some issues with her familiar. They both stood on opposite sides of the deck. “Remember Kris, each individual uses a different style of attacking. Focus on the weapon, not the person, and you’ll see those patterns emerge quickly.” The two began rushing at each other, swinging their weapons and dodging when necessary. Kris found themselves being forced backwards more often than they liked. They sparring ended when Kris’ weapon flew out of their hand. “Heh, not bad punk.” Susie fetched their weapon while Markus gave a synopsis of the fight. “Sometimes it’s best to watch for an opening rather than attack. Susie likes to do overhead swings more often than not, and a lot of her power comes from her left arm swing. The location of her axe should’ve told you where she was going to strike next. Take a break, then you’ll be facing off against me.” Susie came back, handing Kris their weapon and Ruffling their hair. “Oy, King’s boy! How ‘bout you and me fight?” Markus looked at the dragon, raising an eyebrow. “You sure? If I recall correctly, I won last time.” She snorted. “That was a lucky break, I won’t make the same mistake twice!” Markus sighed, drawing his blade and getting into a relaxed pose. “Fine, it’ll be good practice for me I guess.” Susie grinned, positioning herself opposite of Markus. Ralsei raised a paw, swinging it down to signify the start. 

Susie rushed forward, axe gleaming in the sunlight. Markus met her swing with a horizontal slash, blocking the axe and taking the full brunt of the momentum carried over. He slid to the left, letting his blade catch her axe. He quickly drew his sword back inwards, thrusting it to the dragon’s side. She dodged, positioning herself in a way that kept her guard up. Markus chased after her, cutting this way and that, his blade feeling more like an extension of his SOUL than anything else. Susie grunted as she found herself on the defensive, forced to block heavy blows from the knight. She roared, shoving her axe with all her might and throwing Markus’ next strike off balance. She moved in to strike, missing her swing as Markus let himself fall onto the deck completely. He rolled to get up, jumping backwards as he dodged repeated axe swings. Kris and Ralsei stood there amazed. The two were like opposing forces in the world. One a ferocious power of nature, one that has broken all others before her, the other the stalwart memory in time, refusing to be forgotten. The fight came to an end shortly after when Markus slid his sword past Susie’s right arm, cutting it deep. She gritted her teeth. “Damn, thought I had you there.” Markus chuckled, panting as he put away his sword. “You almost did, not many can parry my strikes.” He helped Susie sit down on a barrel, waving Ralsei over to patch her up. Kris stared at Markus, a newfound respect for the knight. “So, did you notice anything Kris?” They nodded, the fight between the two told them much of their fighting style. “Good, it should have. I’ll teach you more later, for now, let’s enjoy the peace we have while it lasts.” 

_Dikke: A former pirate captain who now works under us. A bit rough around the edges, but warmed up to being second in command quickly. The one with the heartiest laugh. Born on the thirtieth of Winter. -Ralsei ___


	3. Of Grimoires and Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are revealed, as the past catches up to the party of four.

The clanging of blade against blade rang out on the deck well into the night. Markus continued to train Kris, giving a few pointers and having them practice on him. Kris’ arms ached from the amount of times the knight struck his practice blade at them. It was worth it in the end, as they began to see his movements before he made them. Markus obviously made them more blatant to sharpen Kris’ reflexes, but it still proved effective, as Kris was beginning to get hit less and less. A final strike to the abdomen sends Kris crashing down onto the deck in exhaustion. Markus blinks, putting his sword away and lending Kris a hand. “Sorry about that Kris. We can stop here for today.” Kris nodded, walking over to a crate and slumping down on it. Markus patted their back soothingly. He took a peek over to where Susie and Ralsei were. Oddly enough, they were both just sitting on the side of the ship staring out into the ocean. Markus let Kris rest on the crate, walking over and sitting down next to the two. “See anything interesting?” Ralsei turned his head to look at him, surprise on his face. “Markus! Done training Kris for today?” The knight nodded, sitting down in between the two, dangling his legs off the side. “Yeah, figured I pushed the kid to their limits at this point. What about you?” Susie leaned back, tilting her head off to the side. “Goat boy here was just talking about his life story, all that jazz.” Markus hummed slightly at the news, rubbing his shoulder gingerly. Susie turned to look at him, eyebrow raised as she asked her question. “So, how did you manage to snag the top position as a knight of the kingdom?”

Markus shrugged, gesturing to the air as he spoke. “I actually didn’t start as a knight in training or anything.” The two blinked. “Really? Then what did you do beforehand?” Markus sighed, looking down at his hands. “I was a mercenary, more specifically, I originally was a part of the Grinning Grimoires.” They flinched at the infamous name. While the members of the former bandit gang had long been dispatched and taken care of, most still recall the unbridled power they once had. Laying waste to many parts of the world, tearing apart families and bringing kingdoms down to their knees. They were ended miraculously by a joint effort between the kingdoms, their mark staining the pages of history forever. Susie shook her head in disbelief. “No way. There is no fucking way you were a part of that gang!” Ralsei nodded at her words. Markus’ ideals and looks were such a stark contrast to the Grimoires agenda that it was nearly impossible to believe him. Markus shrugged again, staring out into the clear waters, as if expecting an answer. “Believe me or not, those days are far behind me now. You probably even still recall my name during those days. Black Fang sound familiar?” Black Fang, the name who struck fear into the hearts of even the most experienced of travelers, a name that was formed when a new recruit tore up the ranks of the former gang. A name that was responsible for many deaths of royalty and political figures. Susie growled. “Why the hell would the king accept you as leader of his army then!?” Markus laughed mirthlessly. “Got caught in an assassination attempt on the king. Got the death sentence, locked up in a jail cell waiting for my death. And then out of the blue I’m given an ultimatum; serve under the very person I had to kill, or be killed. You can obviously tell what I picked. Faked my death with another prisoner, got my identity changed, and the rest is history.” Ralsei nodded. “I remember that, it was all over the news; death of a killer, failed assassination leads to the Grimoires’ greatest asset dead.” Markus nodded, before getting up to avoid a punch from Susie. She trembled as she stared at Markus, glaring hatefully at him. 

(Play Id sorrow if you want a greater effect on the following dialogue)

“You son of a bitch, you should’ve been dead long ago!” Markus kept stepping back as he avoided blow after blow from the ticked off dragon. Step after step Markus took while the dragon concentrated all her rage at the former assassin. Susie roared, throwing a final punch with all her might. Markus caught it, sliding back a few feet from the force. He stared at her, unmoving, watching her pant in exhaustion. He spoke slowly, regret in his voice. “I’m sorry for what my past self has done to you, but what’s done is done. I can’t go back in time and fix things, and neither can you.” He let go of her fist, watching it fall back to her side, before walking over to a set of stairs leading below deck. “We’ll arrive in Argon village by tomorrow, I trust that you’ll be ready in the morning.” With that, the knight left the deck, and silence covered the ship once more. Ralsei gave a worried glance at the dragon, before hurrying off to talk with Markus. Susie slumped to the ground, eyesight blurring with tears. “Dammit, I find the guy after so long, and all I can do is throw fucking punches... FUCK!” She slammed a hand down on the deck, watching wood crack underneath her fist. She trembled, falling onto the deck with a muffled thud. She recalled how she felt when the knight revealed his past. How her SOUL felt, looking at the one responsible for what she became today. The one, who killed her parents. She bit back a whimper, curling in on herself. She heard soft footsteps head over to her, and felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Kris, face solemn, staring back at her. Something inside of her broke, and she clung onto them as she cried her heart out. Loud, gasping sobs and shudders racked her body, as she let out all that she held onto for so long. Kris felt their shoulder slowly becoming more and more soaked with each passing second. They patted her back soothingly, humming a simple tune their mother sang to them as a child. Slowly, Susie stopped crying, relaxing her body and letting her weight sag onto Kris. Kris looked at Susie, hearing her breath slowly get softer. She had cried herself to sleep. Kris let themselves lean on a nearby crate for support, wrapping their arms around the mauve dragon. They only caught bits and pieces of what had transpired while they were resting, but it must have been a bitter info to swallow going by the ensuing fight that had broke out. Kris let their eyelids droop as the day finally caught up to them, their grip on Susie never slacking.  
(You can stop the music now)  


* * *

Ralsei went from room to room in the hull of the ship, searching for the knight. He wanted Markus to elaborate further on what had transpired earlier. He turned the corner, seeing Markus head into one of the rooms. Following shortly, he poked his head in to find Markus staring back at him with an unimpressed look. “You might want to invest some time into sneaking if you wish to tail me, Ralsei.” The goat let out a soft bleat of embarrassment, sliding himself in and shutting the door. “Sorry Markus, I just wanted to speak to you after, well, you know…” Markus sat down on his cot, sagging his shoulders. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t know what caused Susie to lash out at me exactly. I can only assume something I did as the Black Fang.” Ralsei perked up at the way the knight spoke about his former life. “You talk about your past like it’s a different person from you.” Markus nodded at the goat’s words. “Am I wrong? What sort of rumors had you heard about the Black Fang? When was the last time someone spoke of him in high regards? When, was the last time anyone _HEARD _of him?” Markus had stood up during his small rant, clenching his fists and walking around the room in a circle. Ralsei was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say. Markus snorted, walking over to the goat and tugging him to his bed. Ralsei blushed at the contact. “M-markus, what are you?”__

____

“The first person I had ever killed was my own parents.” Ralsei stiffened, turning to look at the knight with horror.  
“It was the first mission assigned to me, as sort of a test to prove my worth to them. I did it without any hesitation, coming home to a dark house. I killed my father with one of my kitchen knives. When my mother woke up at the sound of him choking, I slit her throat without a second thought. Just that morning we were all sitting at the table having breakfast and talking about when I would get a job. The Grimoires took me out for dinner that night, by razing my old home town and stealing everything. I cut down friends. Close relatives. People I knew and existed alongside for my whole life. All of it, gone down in flames. From that day on, my old name meant nothing to me. I was a machine, going through the motions without a second thought. I was a killer, through and through. The Grimoires gave me a target, I went to go mark them off the list. On and on, for several years. It only stopped when my final mission came to pass. You know the rest, don’t you?” Markus slowly curled in on himself, no longer facing Ralsei and instead finding mock interest in the wall. He looked back at Ralsei, shame in his eyes and body motions. “I NEVER, want to associate my new self with that monster again. He and I are two different people, it’s best to leave him in the history books, for everyone’s sake.” Ralsei shook his head, leaning closer to Markus. “Markus, please. Don’t berate yourself so harshly. You weren’t given a choice as to who you killed. It’s not your fault!” Markus cut him off. “Is it really? All that time, I could’ve stopped myself. Stopped working for them, and leave. But I didn’t. I kept going, never stopping to rest. Never once thinking about the people I was hurting in the process. Never once hesitating on my actions.” He let out a shuddering breath. “Ralsei, I think... It’d be best if you left me alone for a bit.” Ralsei shook his head harder at the suggestion. “No, I want to help you, you’re obviously hurting!” Markus slammed a hand onto the nearby nightstand. “NO ONE CAN HELP!” Ralsei flinched at the volume of the knight’s voice. Markus clicked his tongue, resting his head in his hands. “Ralsei, while I appreciate you trying to help. I’m FINE. It’s been years since I last talked with anyone about this, and they’re already two feet into the ground. I’ll be okay after a night’s worth of rest. Please, just leave me be.” Ralsei found himself at a crossroad. Listen to the knight, or disobey and do something he thought he’d only do to younger children. His instincts won in the end. Markus’ body straightened when he felt something warm press up against him. He looked down to see Ralsei hugging him gently.  
“You aren’t alone. You’ve got me, and Kris, and Susie as well. Please, let us help you.” Markus blinked, before wrapping his arms around Ralsei. “Can you promise me then? Promise me that you won’t disappear like the others did?” Ralsei nodded into the knight’s chest, and Markus saw a little white SOUL float in front of him. He looked back down with shock. “Ralsei, are you-”  
“Yes, Markus. You wanted a promise, and this is the best way I can think of delivering it.” Ralsei felt Markus hug him tighter, hearing him swear the oath. He felt his SOUL mingle with the knight’s; a soft glow fading into the room before blinking away. The two stayed like that for the rest of the night.

* * *

(Play And what if I can’t? What if I’m not worthy of her ideals?)  
Muffled voices, the breaking of glass. Soft footsteps pittering in the once quiet nursery room. She remembers this memory. It was the night when her parents were murdered. Her young eyes scanned the room from her crib, seeing a few shadowy figures leap over the broken glass into the room. One of them walked over to her and bent down to pick her up. She was so very young at the time. It was such a faint memory, burned into her mind. “Hmm, must be the parents’ kid…” The figure looked down at the crib, seeing an intricate writing on the side. “One of these days I’ll learn draconic writing…” The other figures left the room, one of them pausing at the door.  
“Oy, you there. Keep an eye out. This’ll be our escape route once we find the bastards. Consider this your second mission.” The one holding her nodded, closing the door after the other left. She began to fuss in the figure’s arms, prompting them to hush her softly. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” She couldn’t remember what she was upset about, but she felt cold in that moment in their arms. The figure walked over to the window, letting her see the outside. “Hey, look over there.” She was too young at the time to understand the words, but the way the figure moved her body forced her to look outside. The town was quiet, lights flickering in and out periodically. The figure pointed to a nearby mountain. “See that? That’s where some really special flowers grow. Some say they have the power to lift anyone’s spirits right back up! What I wouldn’t give to go exploring to find them…” The silence of the room is broken by a scream in the halls, and the rushed footsteps back into the room. One by one, cloaked figures dashed over to the two and out the window. One of them paused to look back at the one holding her, dagger noticeably coated in a white substance. “Hey, new kid, look alive! Ditch the baby and get outta here!” Without a second glance, the figure leapt out the window. She felt herself being set back in the crib, wide eyes staring back at half closed ones. They put a finger to their lips, turning around and exiting through the window. The morning after, someone other than her mother came to do the things she would typically do. She was relentless in her wails, calling for someone who was long departed from the world. From that day forward, the monsters who’d pass by her would only look at her in pity when she told them her name. She hated it. How their looks were so formed towards a feeling of solace, as if they could just look at her and make her feel better. As she aged she began to practice with weapons, finding the axe to be the most comfortable in her claws. The shift in her attitude was glaring to those who had spent time around her. She no longer smiled, or did anything with anyone really. She had built up a wall around herself, vowing silently to never let anyone in, for fear of crumbling down into the dirt. She struck out on her own shortly thereafter, leaving the only place she called home and traveling across the world, searching for the ones who killed her parents. She finally got a lead when rumor spread about a bandit gang that was responsible for many recent deaths in multiple kingdoms. But when she came across where their base was allegedly held, it was empty. Cleaned out by the soldiers of other kingdoms. She cursed the sky that same night, restlessly swinging her axe at trees to relieve stress and pain and sadness. It gripped her like a cold shock, refusing to let go of her neck. Eventually, she had settled for living in a cave, making a name for herself as the “Violent axe”. Many would be adventurers tried to slay her, as if she was some sort of wild beast that needed to be killed for the greater good. The bones she laid near the cave stopped a lot of the raids on her new home very quickly. And there she lived, hate festering in her SOUL the longer she lived alone.

* * *

Screams, looks of betrayal, the anguish on their faces as he cut them down one by one. The sounds of metal tearing flesh and families apart. Oh how he _relished _in their cries of agony and hopeless damning of him to hell. Hell wouldn’t be able to stop him if the Demon themselves came to kill him. He killed without mercy, without a second glance or thought. All he did was kill kill kill. It sickened him to know that he did it for a cause that he didn’t even believe in, even in the past. Fight for a better tomorrow, for a better world. Pah, all they were doing was killing whoever got in the way of their schemes. And yet, as he finished cleaning off the blood of his most recent victim, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth it. He remembers the last mission he ever went on before he was caught. It was a simple one, child’s play compared to the countless other bodies he metaphorically and physically laid to rest. It involved a former bandit member turncoat that had fled with certain, private info that the leaders wished not to be leaked. And so they tasked him, along with another member, to go hunt him down. It only took a few days, but his partner was so. Damn. FLIRTATIOUS with him. Every single free moment she got was one where she put him in a position to see her in a revealing way, be it in the bath house or waking up to find her naked next to him in bed. Many was a cold bath was had in the morning. After they tracked down the former member and killed him, she only got more obsessive over him, spending every moment she had available to “Hang out” as she put it. While he didn’t not enjoy it, he found it mildly amusing how much this woman was willing to go through to get him to like her. And then he got caught, locked in a prison waiting for his demise. Days passed with little in terms of food or water, slowly starving him and his body/mind. Snippets of conversations from guard changes told him the bitter news. His allies were all caught and slain, never to stain history’s pages ever again. He wanted to escape, but found himself unwilling to anymore. What good would leaving his cell turned sanctuary do for him anyways? A stab to the back? Wanted posters everywhere? Sleepless nights under a hard rock? No, he stayed, waiting for the sweet release of death. That is, until his target released him with an offer. One that, looking back on it, may have been the wrong choice in the long run. But since when did his choices really matter anyways?__

____

____

_Markus: Former Grinning Grimoire member and synonymous with the infamous name the Black Fang. The Black Fang was responsible for the deaths of many important people in the political and social world, and is currently thought to be dead. Yet he lives on, taking on another identity, one that thrusts him into the very world he sought to change from the outside.  
-Ralsei ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo, another chapter done. This one changed several times throughout the writing process, and originally it went in a VERY different direction. The next one may take a few more days, but I've already got most of it planned out, roughly.


	4. Declaration of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You see _Markus _, the war has already begun.__ "

“Land Ho!” Markus groaned at the shout that echoed through the hull of the ship. He let his eyes adjust to the lighting of the room, feeling Ralsei shift slightly in his arms. He laid in bed for a few minutes longer, before letting the goat go and getting out of bed. He shook the goat gently. “Ralsei, time to go, come on…” The goat whined, batting away Markus’ hand. “Nooooo, five more minutes mom…” Markus chuckled, “I’m not your mom goat boy, now get up before I dump water on you.” Ralsei groaned, waking himself up slowly. Markus left the room to head back topside, the goat sleepily following him. What they came across was an amusing sight. Kris was sweating nervously as the sleeping dragon shifted in their lap, mumbling incoherently to herself. Kris spotted the two, mouthing a plea for help. Ralsei walked over and tried to pry Susie off from them, but got a swipe to the face for his effort. Markus got Kris’ attention, pointing to Susie and making a scratching motion with his hand. Kris gave him a confused look, putting a hand on Susie’s back and scratching gently. She hummed, leaning into their touch. Kris gave a glare at Markus, who was struggling not to laugh. Ralsei looked at them with pity. Kris sighed, scratching the dragon harder in an effort to wake her up, using both hands to cover her whole back. Susie moaned, stretching languidly and sitting up, rubbing her eyes. She blinked as she was inches from Kris’ face, who was pale as a ghost. They smiled nervously. “..Mornin?” The three learned that day how hard the mauve dragon can punch.

* * *

The ship docked at a nearby port, securing the boat tightly against the wooden docks. The four walked down the ramp, warily glancing around. A pirate ship stopping into town would definitely be a big red flag to anyone who was looking for them. They made their way into town, looking for anything out of place in the area. While walking, they caught bits and pieces of conversations around them. One of the conversations in particular gave them a better sense of direction than the others.  
“Did ya hear?”  
“No, what?”  
“They’re sending Darkner troops into the Frostbone mountains to look for something important, news is all over town by now!”  
“Huh, any idea what they’re looking for?”  
“Hell if I know, something that’ll no doubt rain destruction on the land probably.” That didn’t sound good. The four shared a glance, sneaking off to an alleyway to chat more about this revelation. “Frostbone mountain huh? That’s about a few hours from here. Wonder what they’re doing there.” Ralsei spoke up. “Frostbone mountain is known for being cold all year round; the things that dwell there are ones not to be trifled with so easily.  
“If the Darkners are there it must be something important. All of Frostbone mountain is just ice and snow. Caves exist there, but most only contain said beasts Ralsei was talking about.”  
“So what’s our plan here then?” All eyes turned to Markus, who put a hand to his chin in thought.  
“We go and see what lies there, and get to it before they do.” They all nodded, heading off in the direction of the snow covered peaks.

* * *

Kris shivered as another layer of snow covered their face. They wiped it away, while heading up the mountain, a light snowfall had begun coming down on them. Not enough to bog them down, but more so to make things colder for all of them. Ralsei lead the group, using his fire magic to light the way through the snow. Markus and Susie kept each other at arms length, weapons out in case of an ambush. Kris brought up the rear, checking back every so often to see if they were being tailed. Four adventures going up a cold mountain would not be so out of place if one had a request for them, but this was more for discovering military secrets. They passed by a large open flat plain in the middle of the mountain, stopping to rest. Markus and Susie glanced around, before looking at one another. “...You see it too?”  
“Yeah, ambush.” Kris and Ralsei found themselves looking at the sharp end of several blades. They all backed up, forming a small circle. Clapping could be heard throughout the area.  
“Well, well, well. Looks like we caught some interlopers in our web!” They all turned to face a heavily armored human. His hair was a bright orange, slicked back slightly with bits of snow thrown in. His armor was jet black, a gray cape fluttering slightly behind him. On his right was a bright red orange hilt of a sword. Markus stepped closer to the knight, eyes narrowed.  
“General Duvahn, leader of the ground troops of the Darkner army. What brings you to this cold land?” Duvahn laughed.  
“I could ask the same of you, High commander Markus, lead knight of the Lightner kingdom! I’m only here to find something that will aid my homeland in the destruction of yours. What are you doing with,” He glanced at the three beside the knight. “A wingless dragon, the black sheep of the bunch, and a kid?” Markus glared at the harsh comments. “For your information, we were just passing by to get to your kingdom.”  
“Oh? And why would they send the kingdom’s best man all the way out here?” Markus held the peace treaty out. “A final term of agreement. To prevent us from going to war.” Duvahn laughed again, doubling over. “Hah! Peace? With you lot? Fat chance of that occurring. You see _Markus _...” The draw of Duvahn’s sword put them all on edge. It glowed a bright red, heat seeping out from the blade. “This war has already begun.”__  
(Play Decisive battle 1 from octopath traveler)  
Duvahn’s troop all sprung to attack, forcing the group of four to spread out. Susie and Kris were off fighting the ranged troops while Markus and Ralsei were preoccupied with the bulk of the army. The valley became a war ground for the two opposing sides, Sparks of metal blinking in and out and the tell tale magical hum of spells being cast. Markus tore through the footsoldiers like a hot knife through butter. The black weapon coated in the blood of fallen men. He cut down another soldier before being forced to block a heavy strike from the general, who met him in the middle of the field. Markus could feel the overwhelming heat of the sword in his face, and he forced his legs to push off on the ground to shove the general off. He wasn’t allowed a chance to rest, as several arrows lit aflame soon hit where he previously stood. He glanced over, spotting several mages and archers aiming at him. He cursed under his breath, switching to evasive tactics to avoid being pinned down. While Markus was busy fighting off the general, Susie and Kris was having trouble cutting down the several mages and archers who were keeping Markus under heavy fire. The two had been spotted, and now were caught in a game of cat and mouse, running up a hill to subdue the ranged support of the army. Susie grit her teeth as another arrow lodged itself in her arm, and she pulled it out with a grunt of annoyance. Kris finished off the archer with a well placed sword through the chest, turning to Susie with a look of concern. 

“I’m fine, keep moving.” They continued up the hill, reaching the spot where the bulk of the archers and mages were concentrated. They worked in tandem, covering for each other when one was placed in a dangerous situation. Soon enough, the whole hillside was clear of any ranged soldiers. They quickly backtracked down the hill, seeing Markus and Duvahn still fighting. Ralsei was throwing fireballs at the general in hopes of tripping him up, but it proved to be ineffective once one of them was absorbed into the general’s blade.

Stab, block counter. Three words drilled into Markus’ mind were the only thing currently keeping him on equal footing with the general. He avoided a diagonal cut to the side, swinging in a large arc to force the general to back off. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, right arm bleeding from a cut he sustained earlier. The adrenaline from before was beginning to wear off, and he could feel his strength sapping away slowly. The general laughed at Markus’ state of injury.  
“What’s wrong, can’t handle ONE leader of this army?” Markus grit his teeth, raising his sword up high with both hands and slamming the tip into the ground.  
“Tremor!” Cracks raced towards the general, who leapt away from the ground as sharp rocks appeared beneath him. He looked up to see a flying axe strike him hard in the chest. He landed on his back harshly, pain surging throughout his body. He clicked his tongue as he got up swiftly, avoiding a sword to the chest. He turned to look at the four, seeing his army in shambles.  
“Tch, not bad. But this isn’t over. I’m merely the frontliner of the invasion, Markus. You’ll get your chance to die soon enough!” With a wave of the general’s hand, he disappeared, leaving the four alone with a bunch of dead bodies.  
(Stop the music)  
Silence reigned around the campfire as the four tended to their wounds. Markus had gone to bed early, too exhausted from his quarrel with the general to stay up, leaving the other three to sit around the campfire and reflect on today. “Damn…” Susie rubbed the gauze wrapped around her arm, feeling it ache as she did so. Kris looked at her, concern etched into their face. She gave a small smirk, waving their concern off.  
“I’ll feel better after some rest.” Kris nodded, turning their gaze back to the fire. Ralsei had been tending to Markus’ injuries, finishing up and walking over to Susie to check on the wound. He chided her lightly.  
“Stop moving around so much, it’ll irritate the injury.” He wrapped it tighter around her arm, pausing when she growled. He took a seat next to Kris, letting his shoulders relax.  
“So, we find out that there’s this, object of power that the Darkners want, and it’ll assist in the destruction of our lands. Fantastic.” Susie threw another stick into the fire, wincing at the pain her arm gave in response.  
“What do you suppose this item is?”  
“Hell if I know, Kris you got any ideas?” Kris shook their head. They all went to bed, thoughts of tomorrow stuck like a repeating sound. 

* * *

“General Duvahn! Back so soon?” The general growled at the condescending tone.  
“Shut it Marcia, I don’t need to hear sass from a beast of nature.” Marcia laughed, tail swaying playfully in his direction.  
“What’s wrong general? Lost to a bunch of ragtag kids?”  
“They aren’t kids, they’re a nuisance. You read the report, haven’t you?”  
“Yes, as a matter of fact. One of them is the lead knight of the enemy, Markus, was it?”  
“Yes, that damn white knight got a lucky shot on me.” Marcia giggled, earning another glare from the general.  
“If you find it funny, why don’t YOU try fighting them?”  
“Oh please, they won’t stand a chance against me.”  
The general narrowed his eyes, turning around and walking into his quarters. Marcia giggled.  
“Oh, Markus~...And here I thought you were dead! I’m looking forward to meeting you again~.” 

__Duvahn: A leading general of the Darkner army. When his wife had perished from an unknown illness, he threw himself into his work, climbing up the ranks and eventually assuming control of the army. Rumours speak of the general once serving under the Lightners.  
-Ralsei ____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the last chapter I post on this story for a bit. I'll be working on other stories in the meantime.


	5. Enemy Mine

Markus let out a sigh, watching his breath flow in the cold air. It had been a few hours since they encountered resistance in the form of general Duvahn, and it had gotten dark rather quickly afterwards. The four scrambled to find a suitable place to rest, which brought them to a small cave just barely poking out the side of the mountain. Ralsei and Kris were sound asleep, exhausted from the fight before. Markus and Susie agreed to switch off guard duty every hour or so, and it was currently his turn. He looked back at the three. Ralsei had instinctively snuggled up to Kris, who in turn slept relatively close to the fire near Susie. Susie had slept with her back against the icy cold wall, her axe resting a few inches from her hand. Susie, that name seemed familiar to him..where has he heard it before? His brain struggled to come up with an answer. 

Perhaps it was during his time as the Black Fang? He shook his head at those thoughts. He swore to never think about his past ever again, and he’ll be damned if he starts thinking about it now. A cold breeze passed through him, and he shivered. Looking out at the mountain, he could see nothing but white. Snow had begun making its way down, slowing gaining in strength. He blinked, wiping the tiredness from his eyes. He squinted when he saw a bright orange glow appear in the distance, flashing periodically. He got up, drawing his sword. He waited for something to come out from the snow, but the light continued to flash, dimming and brightening constantly. His curiosity finally won out, and he forced his legs to go investigate. The light seemed to lead him farther and farther out, moving just beyond his reach. He brushed some snow away from his eyesight. The light had finally stopped, glowing so bright he had to cover his eyes with an arm. When the light dimmed, he removed his arm to see what had happened. Standing where the light faded was a smirking figure. Markus tightened his grip on his sword.  
“Awfully late for someone to be on a mountain alone, don’t you think?” The figure laughs.  
“I could say the same about you! It’s not proper to question a lady first, least where I come from? So what brings you out here?” Markus narrowed his eyes.   
“There was a light that brought me here, you?” The figure giggled, turning to face Markus completely. Markus almost dropped his sword in surprise.  
“No way, you’re supposed to be dead!”

“So are you, and yet here we are, talking like old friends. Or should it be lovers?” Markus growled, swinging at the figure, who disappeared in a puff of smoke. He searched around angrily, before getting hit with a fireball to the chest. He grunted as he stepped back.   
“Show yourself, witch!” Laughter echoed all around him. “Aw, what’s wrong, Markus? Not brave enough to face your past?” He leapt to the side as a rune popped up underneath his feet, barely avoiding a beam of light. He kept running, various magic spells being flung at him from all angles. He finally stopped when a well placed spark sent him reeling back. His body twitched and spasmed from the electrical output. He grit his teeth as he struggled to get up. “Darn, and I was so hoping you had changed enough to put up more of a fight.” She appeared before him, fox tails swishing behind her. She walked over to him, lifting his head to get a better look at his face. 

“You always were the curious one in our gang, shame things had to end like this…” She prepped a fireball behind her, ready to finish off the knight, when he smirked. “I suppose you don’t remember everything from our time as partners too well either.” She blinked at his words. “When you fight, you only focus on the thing in front of you, never anywhere else. Odd for a master magician, hmm?” She narrowed her eyes. “What are you getting at?” Her question was answered as she felt her magic dissipate into nothing. She looked down to see Markus gripping her leg tightly, runes running up and down his hand. She recognized the black and white circles that rapidly traveled up her body. “When did you learn syphon?!” Markus grinned, moving to stand up straight, gripping his stomach as she backed away fearfully. “What, did you really think I wouldn’t have done something to counter magic after all this time?” She growled, and Markus blinked at her figure fading in and out. “Unfortunately for you, Markus, this is only a projection of myself. Count your blessings that I don’t just show up now and end you.” Her image faded out entirely after that, leaving Markus alone with his thoughts. He picked up his sword, putting it away and turning back in the direction of the camp. When he headed into the cave, he nudged Susie’s shoulder lightly. She grumbled, peeking one eye open to see the cause of the disturbance. She opened both when she saw the state he was in. “What the hell happened to you?” She spoke in a semi loud tone. “Had a run in with an old friend, nothing I couldn’t handle.” 

He ignored her as he sat down opposite of her, wincing in pain from the harsh movement. “How does an old friend do this to ya?” She stood up to walk over to him, watching the knight reach into his bag and pull out a couple of bandages. He wrapped his right arm in some of them, putting the rest away. He clicked his tongue when he found it hard to move his arm afterwards. Susie rolled her eyes and crouched down to get a better look at his improvised healing. “You wrapped it wrong, the way you did it will stop your blood from flowing, here, let me see.” Markus blinked at her apparent expertise on wrapping wounds, but did not say anything as she undid and redid the bandaging. He muttered a quiet thanks, before slipping into a deep slumber. Susie huffed, poking him lightly to rouse him, but decided to leave him be after a while. She stared out at the cave opening, watching the snow pick up. 

Daybreak came soon, and the four were on the road again, heading in a direction they hoped would lead to their right destination. Markus rounded past the bend, stopping when he spotted a darkner troop walk out in front of him. His sudden halt caused the three behind him to bump into each other, quickly backtracking behind some rocks to hide. They poked their heads out, seeing the soldier look around warily, before knocking on a part of the wall. It slid open, allowing the soldier to go in, before it slid shut again. They glanced around, hurrying over to the wall. Markus knocked on the exact same spot, waiting for the wall to open up. As it slid open, they were greeted by a long dark corridor. They looked at each other, shrugging. They each filed into the tight space, hearing the door close behind them. It was pitch black, with dim torches lighting the way sporadically. They drew their weapons, treading carefully. The hallway lead downwards, curving around and twisting in unnatural ways. It became evident that whatever was down in the mountain was meant to be kept hidden, as numerous disarmed traps laid scattered about. 

Some of them disarmed by a sacrifice, as the rotting corpses told the group. They grimaced at the shape of some of the corpses, bodies torn to shreds or bent in ways the body was never meant to be bent in. Some traps were coated in dust,too. The corridor finally lead out to a massive cavern, and the party could feel a wave of heat crash into them. Looking over a cliff, they could see a huge lake of lava, with a long metal pipe emerging from it and leading out of a hole that looked dug recently. A set of metal stairs led down into the lower levels, prompting the four to head towards them. They each walked up to the pipe, examining it up close. It looked like any other machinery, nothing out of place. Except being in a room full of magma of course. They followed the pipe, watching it twist and turn several times. It stopped at a large circular room, where a floating crystal like structure was in the center. “Is that the thing those darkners were looking for?” Markus nodded absently. “Looks important enough to be the case. Though I can’t understand why they needed a giant bronze pipe to be connected to this thing.” They racked their brains for an answer, coming up with nothing. Susie hefted her axe off her shoulder. “Well, if this thing is so important, why don’t we just smash it?” Before any of the three could reply, a voice cut their thoughts off. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Explosions this deep in a cavern full of magma would be messy.” They quickly turned to see a fox monster grinning at them. Markus growled. “Marcia! So this is where you’ve been hiding.” The other three glance at the knight with raised eyebrows. Marcia laughs. “Hiding? Why I was just simply waiting for the whole gang to be here! So I can cut you all down in one swoop!” A circle of runes appeared, all aimed towards the four. “Move!” They all jumped back to avoid a gush of fire spewing from the magic circle. 

Marcia giggled, waving her fingers to cast another spell. Markus rushed in, right hand glowing a mix of black and white. Before he could reach her, he was forced back when the wind around him solidified into a crescent, cutting into him like knives. He grunted as he moved back, looking for an opening to hit her with the syphon spell once more. While avoiding magic blasts from Marcia, he took a quick glance around. He noticed how after each spell, she had to hold still for a brief moment to cast another one. He relayed this info to the others, who soon picked up on her pattern. She would cast a spell, Ralsei would either counter it with his own spell, or sometimes even take the hit since he was the most in tune with magic, Susie and Kris would rush in to distract her, and Markus would dart to the side to try and seal her magic for good. This went on for a bit, back and forth, until they cornered her and Markus was able to cling onto her boot, quickly shutting down her magic. She screamed in frustration at being beaten again by a lousy magic sealing spell. “Damn you Markus!” She pulled out a glittering red stone. “This isn’t over!” She tossed it at the crystal, and it shattered upon impact, cracking the crystal into shards. When the four turned to look back at the witch, they only found a side entrance in hidden in the wall. The ground beneath them began to shake, and they felt some immense pressure from behind them. Without warning, the ground opened up under them, swallowing the four whole. It closed just as quickly as it opened, leaving no trace of the party. 

_Marcia:Former Grinning Grimoire member, and apparent friend/lover(?) of Markus. A mischievous vixen who caused us no end of trouble. We defeated her swiftly, but she pulled a fast one on us. The one who takes longest in a bath. Born on the 8th of autumn. ___

**Author's Note:**

> Holy crap my fingers are numb. This story came to mind after I played Deltarune a few more times, expect the next chapters to take a little bit.


End file.
